Socialization Stages and Educational Values in Amish Culture
In the Western world, an “education” is highly valued and thought to increase one’s economic and social status. As a result, this increases one’s chances for happiness and family security. For an Amish person, the word “education” brings about ill feelings. The word implies “the acquisition of power over others”, “ego-advancement” and “jeopardy of community life” (Hostetler & Huntington, 2001, p.14). Life for the Amish is not about acquiring new knowledge but learning how to cultivate humility, live simply and resign to the will of God (Hostetler & Huntington, 2001, p.14). The sole purpose of an Amish life is to procreate and pass on the cultural values of their society, while simultaneously living a life according to the word of God. All knowledge an Amish person needs to learn has already been acquired within the community, and there is no need to ever seek external “Western” knowledge.
A person raised in an Amish household is said to pass through a series of six distinct age categories or stages of socialization (Hostetler, J. A., 2001, p.19). These stages tend to correlate loosely with biological phases of development and strongly through culturally determined social learning phases (Hostetler, J. A., 2001, p.19). The Amish understand that their way of life is at risk of extinction because they are nested within a dominant culture. Members of the community are indoctrinated with deeply entrenched cultural values starting at birth. As children grow these societal values become their personal values and are “embedded in their conscience and laced with emotion” (Kraybill, 2001, p.161). Each new life brought into the community is cause for much celebration, as he or she becomes the hope that the cycle of Amish heritage will continue.
The first stage of the Amish life cycle is infancy, which is from birth until the child walks. Babies are viewed as “gifts from God” and are a pleasure to take care of. Although the Amish strongly believe that all humans are inherently evil, they feel that the teachings of Christianity will result in a morally responsible person. Babies are warmly welcomed into a community as they are providing further security for the family and the church. They are never punished for bad behavior, and there is no such thing as a “bad” baby (Hostetler, J. A., & Temple Univ, 1969, p.85).
Second, is the little children phase, which is from walking until the child is able to attend school, around age six or seven. These are pivotal years where children are socialized into their community. They learn the norms of their society as well as obedience to authority. Parents are responsible for teaching obedience and are “consistent and firm” early on (Hostetler, J. A., 1993, p.173). Work is viewed as helping others. Children are taught to be helpful members in their community and serve those younger and/or less fortunate (Hostetler, J. A., & Temple Univ, 1969, p.86). For example, if a four year old child encounters a three year old child that wants the toy he/she is holding, the parents expect the older child to hand it over (Hostetler, J. A., 2001, p.23). A child will never be praised for doing the “right thing” or carrying out the responsibilities required of them. Although parents hold high expectations for their children, they would never push them to perform beyond their ability (Hostetler, J. A., 1993, p.173).
Third, is the school children which starts around age six and lasts until around age sixteen. These children are referred to as “scholars” because this is the only time they will receive a formal education (Hostetler, J. A., & Temple Univ, 1969, p.82). At home, the primary focus for these years is learning gender roles. (Hostetler, J. A., 2001, p.24). During this time period girls learn how to cook, bake and sew from their mothers, while boys learn to do farm work, hunt and fish from their fathers. An Amish child is the responsibility of the parents while the surrounding community such as the church and school are only “supplemental.” What is learned in school must align with what is being taught at home and in the church (Hostetler, J. A., 1993, p.175). Christian values are deeply integrated into the curriculum. Amish children attend school to learn the skills that are needed to live productive lives within their community such as “the three R’s” and how to cooperate with others. They are only required to learn English and math so that they can conduct business with the “outsiders” when they are adults (Hostetler, 1993, p.174).
The fourth stage occurs after age sixteen until marriage and is a time when you are labeled as a young person. They have completed eight years of school and are able to do a full day’s work (Hostetler, J. A., & Temple Univ, 1969, p.82). It would be considered detrimental to the well being of the person if they pursued further education. During this time period a person chooses a peer group, which becomes the most important support group, and family takes a temporary backseat. This stage is also characterized by Rumspringa, which literally translates to a period of “running around.” Amish communities allow every person to experience life outside of their society and decide whether or not to “take the lifetime vows of church membership” (Stevick, 2007, p.xi). Amazingly, around ninety percent of all teenagers decide to come back and officially become members of the community for life (Kraybill, 2001, p. 161).
Fifth, is adulthood, which religiously begins after baptism and socially once a person is married. This stage lasts until retirement (Hostetler, J. A., & Temple Univ, 1969, p.82). After a couple is married, their most important activity is child rearing. It is not uncommon for families to have as many as fourteen children, although the average is seven (Hostetler, J. A., 2001, p.20). Marriage is taken very seriously, and they believe that the commitment to their spouse is only second to God. Families come first and are never placed second to a career. (Hostetler, J. A., 2001, p.30).
During the final stage of life, one is known as an “old folk” (Hostetler, J. A., & Temple Univ, 1969, p.82). This stage is not mourned or viewed negatively as the Amish see this as a natural phase of life. The age of retirement varies and depends on the age that their children married. Once a child marries the father will hand the farm down to him or her to take over the general operations, and he will retire. Typically the youngest age a person will retire is fifty and the oldest around seventy (Hostetler, J. A., 2001, p.33).
In the Western world, anxiety is often correlated with retirement due to loss of status and a steady income. For the Amish, prestige tends to increase with age (Hostetler, J. A., 2001, p.33). Old folks are the ties to the past and are valued for their knowledge that is passed on to future generations. Old folks are not separated from younger generations but are part of the community and have many opportunities for social gatherings. They are also taken care of by their children who understand from a young age that it is the right thing to do. When a person ceases, families find solace in the belief in eternal life and only allow three days of mourning before returning to their normal routines (Hostetler, J. A., 2001, p.34). The Amish are very realistic about life and death and understand that when one person dies, another is born. With every new life is the hope that their culture will survive another generation.
Comparison with Western Theorists
Religion is deeply intertwined with every aspect of learning for the Amish. This is very different from all Western learning theories. An Amish person acquires their sense of morality by learning Christian principles that are instilled at a very young age by one’s family. All learning, and particularly morality, is a process of socialization and conditioned learned behavior for the Amish. Kohlberg also believed that overall, morality was learned through socialization and not maturation. The Amish believed that by raising a child in a Christian Household that he/she would develop deeply entrenched morals. Kohlberg’s theory also outlined six stages that corresponded with a specific age range but he neglects to add in old age. Erikson, on the other hand, is the only learning theorist who explained all of the phases of life.
Relationships amongst all members of the community are extremely valued. Serving others and loyalty to one’s family are the highest priorities in one’s life. Gilligan suggests that the reason why people living in the Western world are lacking a sense of morality is because we have lost these values. Instead we are forced to follow laws because we do not have deeply entrenched morals as the Amish do.
The education system of the Amish is very different from most Western schools. There are, however, some similarities to Montessori philosophy. Children are given the space to progress at their own pace and are not rewarded for progress. Children are also discouraged from reading fairy tales, as they believe these will confuse children about their Christian beliefs. Aside from these aspects, the education system is also different from Montessori. Children are disciplined for misbehaving and are not able to pursue their own interests. One purpose of Amish schooling is to show children the importance of collaboration and helping others. Serving one’s self is not as important as serving the whole, which contradicts what Freud believed as well.
Freud felt that children are often punished too harshly and that teachers should inquire further into the reasons why a child acted a certain way, instead of automatically disciplining that child. Freud did believe that schools should help to foster well-rounded, socialized individuals, which is a key value in the Amish education system. He also suggests that teachers should focus on what’s going on in their student’s heads, but this is not something that is valued in Amish schools.
Within my research I found very little on cognitive developmental theory, which makes it hard to relate to theorists in that area of expertise. Higher education would produce psychologists who study this but because the Amish do not believe in further schooling, these theories do not exist. I have come to the realization that the Amish do not care about the growth and development of their brains and have not attempted to categorize their cognitive development. From a young age children are discouraged from asking questions that begin with “how or why.” Instead they are taught to learn by observation and imitations of behavior. (Hostetler, 1993, p.173) This correlates with the views of Watson and Skinner who believed that behavior is learned through conditioning.
Children are discouraged from learning how to critically think for themselves. After analyzing this, I found that the reason for this is because the Amish do not want their way of life to change. If children start to question things, then the traditional Amish values may become at risk of extinction. Their socialization stages and educational views have been strategically developed over hundreds of years to guarantee that Amish culture will persist through time.
References
Crain, William. (2005). Theories of Development: Concepts and Applications (5th Edition).
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Ediger, M. (2005). Old Order Amish Philosophy of Education. Education, 125(3), 422.
Ediger, M. (1998). Teaching Science in the Old Order Amish School. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 25(1), 62-66.
Hostetler, J. A. (1993). Amish Society. The John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. 4th Edition.
Hostetler, J.A., & Huntington, G.E. (2001). Amish Children: Education in the Family, School and Community. Wadsworth Group, 2nd edition.
Hostetler, J. A., & Temple Univ., P. A. (1969). Educational Achievement and Life Styles in A Traditional Society, the Old Order Amish. Final Report.
Kraybill, D.B. (2001) The Riddle of Amish Culture. The John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. Revised Edition.
Reich, R. (2002). Opting Out of Education: Yoder, Mozert, and the Autonomy of Children. Educational Theory, 52(4), 445-61.
Stevick, R.A. (2007). Growing Up Amish: The Teenage Years. The John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.
Weyer, S. M., Hustey, V. R., Rathbun, L., Armstrong, V. L., Anna, S. R., Ronyak, J., , & Savrin, C. (2003). A Look Into the Amish Culture: What Should We Learn? Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 14(2), 139-145.
A person raised in an Amish household is said to pass through a series of six distinct age categories or stages of socialization (Hostetler, J. A., 2001, p.19). These stages tend to correlate loosely with biological phases of development and strongly through culturally determined social learning phases (Hostetler, J. A., 2001, p.19). The Amish understand that their way of life is at risk of extinction because they are nested within a dominant culture. Members of the community are indoctrinated with deeply entrenched cultural values starting at birth. As children grow these societal values become their personal values and are “embedded in their conscience and laced with emotion” (Kraybill, 2001, p.161). Each new life brought into the community is cause for much celebration, as he or she becomes the hope that the cycle of Amish heritage will continue.
The first stage of the Amish life cycle is infancy, which is from birth until the child walks. Babies are viewed as “gifts from God” and are a pleasure to take care of. Although the Amish strongly believe that all humans are inherently evil, they feel that the teachings of Christianity will result in a morally responsible person. Babies are warmly welcomed into a community as they are providing further security for the family and the church. They are never punished for bad behavior, and there is no such thing as a “bad” baby (Hostetler, J. A., & Temple Univ, 1969, p.85).
Second, is the little children phase, which is from walking until the child is able to attend school, around age six or seven. These are pivotal years where children are socialized into their community. They learn the norms of their society as well as obedience to authority. Parents are responsible for teaching obedience and are “consistent and firm” early on (Hostetler, J. A., 1993, p.173). Work is viewed as helping others. Children are taught to be helpful members in their community and serve those younger and/or less fortunate (Hostetler, J. A., & Temple Univ, 1969, p.86). For example, if a four year old child encounters a three year old child that wants the toy he/she is holding, the parents expect the older child to hand it over (Hostetler, J. A., 2001, p.23). A child will never be praised for doing the “right thing” or carrying out the responsibilities required of them. Although parents hold high expectations for their children, they would never push them to perform beyond their ability (Hostetler, J. A., 1993, p.173).
Third, is the school children which starts around age six and lasts until around age sixteen. These children are referred to as “scholars” because this is the only time they will receive a formal education (Hostetler, J. A., & Temple Univ, 1969, p.82). At home, the primary focus for these years is learning gender roles. (Hostetler, J. A., 2001, p.24). During this time period girls learn how to cook, bake and sew from their mothers, while boys learn to do farm work, hunt and fish from their fathers. An Amish child is the responsibility of the parents while the surrounding community such as the church and school are only “supplemental.” What is learned in school must align with what is being taught at home and in the church (Hostetler, J. A., 1993, p.175). Christian values are deeply integrated into the curriculum. Amish children attend school to learn the skills that are needed to live productive lives within their community such as “the three R’s” and how to cooperate with others. They are only required to learn English and math so that they can conduct business with the “outsiders” when they are adults (Hostetler, 1993, p.174).
The fourth stage occurs after age sixteen until marriage and is a time when you are labeled as a young person. They have completed eight years of school and are able to do a full day’s work (Hostetler, J. A., & Temple Univ, 1969, p.82). It would be considered detrimental to the well being of the person if they pursued further education. During this time period a person chooses a peer group, which becomes the most important support group, and family takes a temporary backseat. This stage is also characterized by Rumspringa, which literally translates to a period of “running around.” Amish communities allow every person to experience life outside of their society and decide whether or not to “take the lifetime vows of church membership” (Stevick, 2007, p.xi). Amazingly, around ninety percent of all teenagers decide to come back and officially become members of the community for life (Kraybill, 2001, p. 161).
Fifth, is adulthood, which religiously begins after baptism and socially once a person is married. This stage lasts until retirement (Hostetler, J. A., & Temple Univ, 1969, p.82). After a couple is married, their most important activity is child rearing. It is not uncommon for families to have as many as fourteen children, although the average is seven (Hostetler, J. A., 2001, p.20). Marriage is taken very seriously, and they believe that the commitment to their spouse is only second to God. Families come first and are never placed second to a career. (Hostetler, J. A., 2001, p.30).
During the final stage of life, one is known as an “old folk” (Hostetler, J. A., & Temple Univ, 1969, p.82). This stage is not mourned or viewed negatively as the Amish see this as a natural phase of life. The age of retirement varies and depends on the age that their children married. Once a child marries the father will hand the farm down to him or her to take over the general operations, and he will retire. Typically the youngest age a person will retire is fifty and the oldest around seventy (Hostetler, J. A., 2001, p.33).
In the Western world, anxiety is often correlated with retirement due to loss of status and a steady income. For the Amish, prestige tends to increase with age (Hostetler, J. A., 2001, p.33). Old folks are the ties to the past and are valued for their knowledge that is passed on to future generations. Old folks are not separated from younger generations but are part of the community and have many opportunities for social gatherings. They are also taken care of by their children who understand from a young age that it is the right thing to do. When a person ceases, families find solace in the belief in eternal life and only allow three days of mourning before returning to their normal routines (Hostetler, J. A., 2001, p.34). The Amish are very realistic about life and death and understand that when one person dies, another is born. With every new life is the hope that their culture will survive another generation.
Comparison with Western Theorists
Religion is deeply intertwined with every aspect of learning for the Amish. This is very different from all Western learning theories. An Amish person acquires their sense of morality by learning Christian principles that are instilled at a very young age by one’s family. All learning, and particularly morality, is a process of socialization and conditioned learned behavior for the Amish. Kohlberg also believed that overall, morality was learned through socialization and not maturation. The Amish believed that by raising a child in a Christian Household that he/she would develop deeply entrenched morals. Kohlberg’s theory also outlined six stages that corresponded with a specific age range but he neglects to add in old age. Erikson, on the other hand, is the only learning theorist who explained all of the phases of life.
Relationships amongst all members of the community are extremely valued. Serving others and loyalty to one’s family are the highest priorities in one’s life. Gilligan suggests that the reason why people living in the Western world are lacking a sense of morality is because we have lost these values. Instead we are forced to follow laws because we do not have deeply entrenched morals as the Amish do.
The education system of the Amish is very different from most Western schools. There are, however, some similarities to Montessori philosophy. Children are given the space to progress at their own pace and are not rewarded for progress. Children are also discouraged from reading fairy tales, as they believe these will confuse children about their Christian beliefs. Aside from these aspects, the education system is also different from Montessori. Children are disciplined for misbehaving and are not able to pursue their own interests. One purpose of Amish schooling is to show children the importance of collaboration and helping others. Serving one’s self is not as important as serving the whole, which contradicts what Freud believed as well.
Freud felt that children are often punished too harshly and that teachers should inquire further into the reasons why a child acted a certain way, instead of automatically disciplining that child. Freud did believe that schools should help to foster well-rounded, socialized individuals, which is a key value in the Amish education system. He also suggests that teachers should focus on what’s going on in their student’s heads, but this is not something that is valued in Amish schools.
Within my research I found very little on cognitive developmental theory, which makes it hard to relate to theorists in that area of expertise. Higher education would produce psychologists who study this but because the Amish do not believe in further schooling, these theories do not exist. I have come to the realization that the Amish do not care about the growth and development of their brains and have not attempted to categorize their cognitive development. From a young age children are discouraged from asking questions that begin with “how or why.” Instead they are taught to learn by observation and imitations of behavior. (Hostetler, 1993, p.173) This correlates with the views of Watson and Skinner who believed that behavior is learned through conditioning.
Children are discouraged from learning how to critically think for themselves. After analyzing this, I found that the reason for this is because the Amish do not want their way of life to change. If children start to question things, then the traditional Amish values may become at risk of extinction. Their socialization stages and educational views have been strategically developed over hundreds of years to guarantee that Amish culture will persist through time.
References
Crain, William. (2005). Theories of Development: Concepts and Applications (5th Edition).
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Ediger, M. (2005). Old Order Amish Philosophy of Education. Education, 125(3), 422.
Ediger, M. (1998). Teaching Science in the Old Order Amish School. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 25(1), 62-66.
Hostetler, J. A. (1993). Amish Society. The John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. 4th Edition.
Hostetler, J.A., & Huntington, G.E. (2001). Amish Children: Education in the Family, School and Community. Wadsworth Group, 2nd edition.
Hostetler, J. A., & Temple Univ., P. A. (1969). Educational Achievement and Life Styles in A Traditional Society, the Old Order Amish. Final Report.
Kraybill, D.B. (2001) The Riddle of Amish Culture. The John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. Revised Edition.
Reich, R. (2002). Opting Out of Education: Yoder, Mozert, and the Autonomy of Children. Educational Theory, 52(4), 445-61.
Stevick, R.A. (2007). Growing Up Amish: The Teenage Years. The John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.
Weyer, S. M., Hustey, V. R., Rathbun, L., Armstrong, V. L., Anna, S. R., Ronyak, J., , & Savrin, C. (2003). A Look Into the Amish Culture: What Should We Learn? Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 14(2), 139-145.